Best time of year to place first layer of compost.

[frank]

I have an allotment in the North West and all the old timers are avid diggers!! When I talk with them they seem very clear that letting the frost get into the top layer of soil, throughout the winter, is very important in order to both kill any pests and diseases and to break up the soil to a fine tilth ready for planting.
Using the no dig method if i was to place the compost on the surface in the autumn that would act as a protective layer, then the beneficial effect of the frost axction would not take place. SO is the best time of year to add the compost layer sometime in early spring?
Also we have access to plenty of horse manure but it is not well rotted, so I would assume this could not be used as the compost layer in the no dig method? I would probably be better to save this for use under the squashes and tomatoes.

[charles]

Hi Franks, yes those are classic comments from diggers.
However, veg grow well after mild winters and in coastal regions of no frost. Soil does not need to freeze. Digging breaks up the soil’s ecosystem and leads to more pest damage, in my experience. The plants on my no dig beds are healthier than where we have dug or forked.
Compost of good quality has it’s own tilth, but if it’s lumpy then spreading before winter is good, in the hope of some frost tilth.
I aim to cover all my beds before winter but some have say leeks in the way, so we compost them in spring. You can spread compost at any time of year.
Best of luck, don’t let the digging majority intimidate or worry you!

[Rhys]

Frank

I am limited by when my compost becomes ready, so two beds get compost late November, I did another in February and the beds with leeks and beans will be done during summer.

My pea shoots went into a bed treated early February and are doing fine. The garlics into a bed treated last autumn. Both seem fine….

[Author]

Posts